Will Bob Brady Be Tossed Off Ballot?

The decision could come as early as today as to whether Bob Brady gets kicked off the mayoral ballot. Appeals were heard yesteday in Harrisburg for Tom Knox’s challenge to Brady’s nominating petitions. Brady forgot to list the pension he gets from the carpenter’s union.

In the Daily News, John Baer reports on a snippy exchange outside the courtroom. While Baer was interviewing Knox’s lawyer, Brady’s lawyer walked by and said, “Don’t listen to that guy, he’s full of baloney.”

Ha ha! We’re all like third-graders here. He can’t even say “full of shit.”

And, then, there’s this:

He said Brady receives nothing from the carpenters’ union other than credit for continuity of service - so “when he’s finished with his congressional duties he could go back and work as a carpenter.” Brady, who turned 62 last week, worked as a carpenter decades ago, before getting into city politics.

Yes! I’m sure Bob Brady will be returning to carpentry when he is a 70-year-old retiree. Whoo! I only want 70-year-olds working on my woodwork.

John Baer | In a dinky courtroom: Baloney, sucking up &, maybe, a city’s fate [Daily News]
Appeal in Brady candidacy is heard [Inquirer]

Milton Defies All Odds, Remains On Ballot

If Bob Brady is eventually kicked off the ballot — which is probably unlikely — he’ll be one of only a handful. Jesus White and Queena Bass are still on the mayoral ballot. And, most importantly, yesterday a Commonwealth Court judge denied the petition to kick Milton Street off the ballot. Milton is in the running, people!

Making this more amazing is Street managed to stay on the ballot without the benefit of any legal counsel whatsoever. Street argued his own case, and he told KYW 1060’s Mike Dunn he stayed on the ballot due to his incredible arguing techniques:

“I made oral argument, and I gotta tell you, man, I was in good stride, man, I was goin’ full steam ahead.”

As is Milton’s campaign. He says next week he’s going to be unveiling “a proposal and a plan” to curb gun violence. We’re holding our collective breath.

Milton Street Survives Phila. City Council Ballot Challenge [KYW 1060]

Breaking: Bob Brady Kills Witness, Tom Knox Hates Katrina Victims

First off, the above photo: Awesome.

Second: The plucky political reporters over at the Inquirer are up in Polish Country, covering the challenge to Bob Brady’s nominating petitions. So far, there have been three major developments:

• Judge Toole ruled Bob Brady must testify, thereby forcing him to miss an important House of Representatives vote on Hurricane Katrina funding. Oh no! How will that ever pass! The Inquirer: “‘I’m trying to get to a vote,’ he said. ‘It’s a shame to be here for this.’ He notes the votes awaiting him on the House floor, at 2 p.m., ‘Katrina, more funding.’ He rolls his eyes, looks at his watch.”
• The second witness for Paul Rosen — that’s Tom Knox’s lawyer — has gone missing. The missing witness is a member of the Carpenter’s union. One can only assume Bob Brady has killed him and feasted on his innards afterward.
• Milton Street dropped his challenge against Bob Brady, since he doesn’t want a white guy to win. Milton: “I don’t want to go in the black community and hear them say, ‘You made Tom Knox mayor.’” Then he said “Watermelon Man,” draped himself over a coffin and belted out an Aretha Franklin tune.

Oh, and Brady’s defense is that since he listed his pension on his federal financial disclosures (for Congress), he didn’t need to list it on his mayoral nominating petitions.

A witness goes MIA [Mayorpalooza]
Judge Rules Brady Must Testify; He’ll Have To Miss DC Votes [Mayorpalooza]

Milton Street Doesn’t Know–Cough, Sharif Street, Cough–Who Attempted To Knock Him Off The Ballot

Hallelujah! Yesterday, the mysterious man known as Samuel Harris had his petition challenge to T. Milton Street denied, clearing the way for Ol’ Uncle Milty to run for At-Large City Council on the May 15 primary.

While it doesn’t quite have the same panache as a mayoral run would’ve, I think we citizens of Philadelphia will take what we can get here. Oddly enough, Milton Street wasn’t challenged for anything relating to, oh, living in New Jersey. Apparently everybody else felt he was “domiciled in Philadelphia.”

And KYW 1060 has this nice Milton Street gem:

“You know, you can’t really know who was behind it. I have a good idea who was behind it, but I’m not going to say.”

But then Milton Street went on to say his nephew Sharif, who is also a candidate for City Council at large, led the challenge. Uncle Milton said he respects Sharif for fighting, adding that he doesn’t take it personally.

I like a candidate who flip-flops almost instantaneously. It adds some realism into the election equation. Appeals are forthcoming to Milton not being kicked off the ballot, but for now, cross your fingers and celebrate. Might want to get a St. Joseph statue in the meantime.

Petitions OK, Milt hits campaign trail [Daily News]
Milton Street’s Bid for Phila. City Council Continues [KYW 1060]

Brady’s Fate In Hands Of Poles

A judge from Luzerne County will hear the challenge against Bob Brady’s nominating petitions today. Luzerne County, as you may know, is the only county in the U.S. where a plurality of the population reports a Polish ancestry. How this will figure into today’s decision, I dare not venture a guess.

The challenge — funded by (who else) Tom Knox and supported by Dwight Evans — attempts to knock Brady off the ballot for failing to list his City of Philadelphia pension ($8,500/year) on his financial disclosure forms. Luzerne County judge Judge Patrick J. Toole (assuredly Polish) is hearing the case because Brady got a bunch of judges elected and they might rule favorably to him, or something.

Lawyer Paul Rosen doesn’t even want to let Brady’s team argue the disclosure was a “government mandated payment” and didn’t need to be listed, since City Controller Alan Butkovitz tried to knock two challengers from the ballot since they failed to disclose their city pensions. Butkovitz was endorsed by the Democratic City Committee, which Bob Brady chairs.

Blah blah blah. Man, this race was much more fun when it was all Milton and gumdrops. There will be an appeal of today’s ruling between the two rich white guy candidates’ lawyers, and it’ll eventually go to the Supreme Court. No pressure, Judge Toole! Prać swoje brudy publicznie!

Effort to put Brady off ballot will be heard today in court [Inquirer]

Breaking: Milton Stays!

This just in: Milton Street has survived his ballot challenge from Sharif Street some dude and will be on the primary ballot for City Council on May 15.

Other candidates were knocked off the ballot, but they’re not Milton Street, so nobody cares.

Challenge update: Street stays [Fight for Room 215]

Breaking: Milton Lives… For Now

Breaking: Milton Street survived the challenge to his nominating petitions! Of course, this is only a delay for him; he survived the challenge to his financial statement. The challenge to his signatures — many of which appear to be in the same handwriting — takes place on Monday.

Oh, yeah, and Street has blamed his nephew, Sharif Street, for challenging his petitions. Is he disappointed by that? “No, it’s going to be disappointing to him when I get on the ballot.”

Challenge Update: A long day, almost over [Fight for Room 215]

Is This The Untimely Demise Of Milton Street?

It might be over for Milton Street. Ol’ Milty is having his petition for City Council challenged, and, well, things aren’t going so well, Josh Cornfeld reports.

Also, Milton Street asked for a continuance because he said he’s been sick and hasn’t had a chance to review the challenge filed against him Tuesday. No dice, said the judge. We’ll give you a few hours.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I hope you can join me in chanting: Let Milt run! Let Milt run!

Challenges Update: Milton sick, Whaumbush stays [Fight for Room 215]